Book 8: Ever After
by Black Butterflyz
Summary: My first ever Sweep fic, set after Book 7 (with a few changes) & Hunter/Morgan all the way! Morgan travels to an AU to find something that will help her defeat Selene, but when she meets this version of herself she starts to wonder what her life should be


Disclaimer: Cate Tiernan owns the series; I have absolutely nothing to do with it! A\N: This is my very first Sweep story and as I've only read four of the Books: The Coven, Blood Witch, Awakening and Spellbound I can't write past those. I have heard about some stuff that happens later on so characters like Ciaran might appear but then will be totally different to the Ciaran you've read about. This story starts straight after my version of Spellbound in which there was no showdown with Selene & Cal at the end, instead they think Cal has left Widow's Vale again and gone back to Selene. Morgan is still unsure about Hunter so they aren't actually together. Yet. The books (the ones I've read anyway) start with something happening, or in the middle of something so I like to start it like that too, and explain to you previous events properly during this first chapter. The plot, some of you may think, is a little more sci-fi than magic but I have to admit that I am obsessed with the idea of Alternate Universe's, especially when people meet another version of themselves. And I got this from an idea that formed in my head done day and I decided I had to write it all out. Please review and tell me what you think because if I don't get reviews I probably won't continue.  
  
Playground  
  
I tried to shield my eyes with my arms from the bright light that engulfed me. It was beautiful, but too overpowering for my eyes to handle. Alyce had told me to accept whatever happened and to let it in: not to be frightened. I willed myself to keep my eyes open and take in the mystical green-yellow light. I knew it was pure magick, but I felt like I would start tearing if I kept my eyes open any longer. As much as I tried the knots in my stomach they grew and grew and I swallowed hard. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped and I fell face down on the ground. It was grass, but didn't soften the fall enough to stop the small cuts that appeared on my hand.  
  
Sighing, I stood up and brushed all the dirt off my blouse and jeans. Then, I looked up and saw that I was standing in a park full of children on swings, in sandboxes, etc. My eyes widened and I got scared that they had seen me, but none of them seemed too. One of them was even looking-straight at me, but still didn't say anything. Before this could surprise me, I remembered two things Sky had told me before the portal opened: one was that I would be invisible to everyone until I decided to show myself or twenty hours had passed; whichever came first. And the second was that my journey would take me to a place where magicks where. But this was just a park, a playground, full of little children running around happily as if they hadn't a care in the world. The thought struck me that they probably didn't. For a moment I wondered whether this perhaps, was a park just for children who were born into magic, from their parents. Children, who, once they were old enough, would be blood witches. Something like the school for mutants in those X-Men cartoons Mary K.'s friend Jaycee was always watching. But if that were true then, the public would have to know that was what it was and it seemed highly unlikely to me that any society would accept that. Even one that was seven years more advanced than the one I came from. I knew that if Hunter were here I wouldn't just be standing here, simply thinking. We'd be searching for something that would tell us why we were brought to this place, something made from magick.  
  
I walked towards the nearest bench and sat down. It felt good to rest my legs. I wondered whether I missed Hunter or was glad he wasn't here. It certainly would be good to be my own boss, not having to worry what he'd say or do anytime I forgot to tell him something and then have to watch as he went on a full-scale hunt. But I couldn't deny that a part of me did miss him. But, as my mind drifted to thoughts of our few kisses and where the two of us actually stood in a relationship I had to turn away. I couldn't think of that now. I had work to do, a mission to fulfil as Robbie had said when he was joking around just before the ritual. But he knew just as well as I do now, how dangerous this is and I know he only did that to lighten the mood. I'm rather glad he did actually because he was able to relieve me. I tried to talk to Hunter for a bit but it was all doom and gloom from him, going on about the danger and Selene, etc, etc, etc. He certainly wasn't able to cheer me up then, the way I thought he might. A week ago while Robbie and I were helping giving Alyce a hand in Practical Magic because Finn was away that day we stumbled upon a book that Alyce hadn't even known the store had about traveling through to different worlds. Alyce let me take it and I read all of it that night. I went back to Practical Magic, the next day and searched everywhere for another book on the subject, but I couldn't find a single one. Then, Alyce told me that the practice of going to other worlds was very difficult and dangerous and that it might be better if I didn't get too involved on the subject. I know I don't usually give up so easily, but there seemed to be nothing else I could do. Then two days ago, after Kithic's circle at Sharon's house a black presence came into the circle and it couldn't have been anything other than a dark wave. It disturbed everyone and Alisa even passed out - but this feeling in my gut told me it was Selene looking for me. Sky discovered that in actual fact it was Selene, more powerful than ever now she had found an extremely high witch who could perform a special brach on her.  
  
I can't deny that Selene scares me, the way her powers are always increasing. Always. But the scariest thing is that no matter how powerful she is, she still considers me a threat to her and wants my power. Me, Morgan Rowlands, long- time quiet Catholic girl until I met Cal. Selene's son. Now whether or not she gets my powers she will not stop until she had me dead or is able to blind me magically. And now that I've found Wicca I don't know which would be worse. After scrying Sky found out that the only thing that would help me defeat Selene lay in a different world, an alternate universe. And as much as Alyce tried to go against us she knew it was what we - I - had to do. So, this morning Hunter drew and purified the circles and - using the book I had found in Practical Magic - Sky and Alyce chanted and performed magick to open the gateway for me to step through. Bree and Robbie had been there too for "moral support," as Robbie had said, and I was more than grateful for that. Here, in this alternate universe, I had to find the thing that would help me beat Selene, my worst enemy (incidentally, someone who'd I'd once dreamed of as a future mother-in-law) and also my biggest fear. The only problem was I had no idea what I was supposed to find.  
  
It was one of the reasons why Alyce had been so reluctant to let me go in the first place. And why Robbie had agreed with her - why travel all the way and take all the risk when you have no idea what you're looking for? But, I knew I had to come - I couldn't risk Selene hurting anyone of them. And now, I ended up here. The portal was supposed to land me in a place where I could find what would help me. I just didn't know where to go.  
  
And then I found the answer. Or rather, the answer found me. A young girl was playing only a few metres away from me. She reminded me of someone but I couldn't place whom. She didn't see me, but that wasn't surprising despite our closeness. She wasn't supposed to. She got up and started skipping away. I don't know what it was that made me get up and follow her, but I did just that. I walked slowly, and not too close in case anyone noticed things moving where 'no-one' was. She skipped up and ran to a woman who was sitting on the grass, reading a book. It was when the woman looked up and welcomed the girl that I realized who she reminded me of.  
  
Because when the woman looked up, I saw me. 


End file.
